JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (May 10, 2011) - Several archeological recovery teams and investigation teams from the U.S. Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) recently deployed to the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Republic of Korea searching for MIA's from the Vietnam and Korean War.

About 55 JPAC team members deployed to account for Americans that may have been missing for more than 60 years. Recovery teams will search for human remains, life support items, and other material evidence (personal and military issued items) that may further the identification of Americans missing from past U.S. conflicts. Investigation teams will authenticate leads from eyewitnesses, conduct field research, and gather information throughout the various provinces to determine whether or not there will be a return visit for excavation at a later date.

Lao People's Democratic Republic: A trilateral investigation team with personnel from the U.S., the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam will investigate sites in the Khammouan, Salavan, and Savannakhet provinces in search of five Americans. Additionally, a recovery team will excavate a helicopter crash siῴe searching for five Americans that remain unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War. The approximatelyᾠ35-day deployment marks the 118th Joint Field Activity in Laos.

Republic of Korea: Two multi-service military and civilian recovery teams with approximately 20 people will excavate an aircraft crash site and burial site in the Kangwon province searching for evidence to identify Americans that may have perished during the Korean War.

Falling directly under the U.S. Pacific Command, JPAC is a jointly-manned organization of more than 400 military and civilian specialists that has investigated and recovered missing Americans since the 1970's. To date, more than 83,000 individuals are listed as missing in action dating back to World War II.

The ultimate goal of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, and of the agencies involved in returning America's heroes home, is to achieve the fullest possible accounting of Americans lost during the nation's past conflicts.